These five bands will go on to compete in the finals at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Tuesday with the winner announced at the awards ceremony at City National Grove of Anaheim on March 8.

Each of the five finalists also gets an Ernie Ball tour pack filled with strings and accessories. The overall winner in the best live band category will receive a four-day recording session at Red Bull Studios, a $500 gift certificate from Guitar Center, $500 cash courtesy of Audiofly, a full endorsement from Ernie Ball, custom Music Man instruments for each string player in the group and a song on the 2014 Vans Warped Tour compilation album.

For the second consecutive year, Anaheim reggae-rock quartet Solution (above) was selected via online fan vote to automatically advanced to the finals, as well as receive an extra $500 cash and a year supply of Popchips. That result is well-deserved, considering how socialable the band is at shows. It’s also one of the few local outfits at this level that can consistently pack small-capacity venues on weeknights.

It’s no surprise that after last night’s fiery performance, during the last showcase at the Continental Room, Well Hung Heart, a husband-wife duo from Orange with a blues-rock, punk and grunge-infused sound, snuck into the Top 5. They put on a show that was entertaining from start to finish and very much earned a shot at the title.

Midnight Hour also belongs in the finals after giving yet another powerhouse performance this year. Though vocalist Brad Lodge said the night they played that he was still recovering from a bout of sickness and admitted to feeling rusty, having not played locally in quite some time, he still rocked his heart out.

Yet, having reviewed every showcase except the Feb. 4 round at the Coach House (covered by staff writer Angela Ratzlaff), it’s surprising to see the panel of judges select Newport Beach metal band Beneath the Buried as well as former New Years Day guitarist Matthew Lindbald’s new project, Rebel Revive. Both acts merit kudos, but they certainly did not deliver “best band” performances during their sets.

Breach the Summit, a young Irvine band that was only so-so during last year’s competition, showed such stunning growth in this year’s program, definitely should have cracked the Top 5. Jeramiah Red, a finalist last year, also should have made it again, judging soely on its tight, even more powerful performance this time around.

The Devious Means also were seriously overlooked, as well as folk singer-songwriter Annie McQueen, who just gets better and better each year. Even the Originalites, as goofy as they may be, put on a super high-energy and entertaining set, drawing in the largest late-night crowd I’ve experienced during this series.

Oh well, there’s always next year.

The 2014 OC Music Awards Showcase finals will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Observatory, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana. Free admission; All-ages.

Kelli Skye Fadroski lives for entertainment. She’s worked at The Orange County Register since 2006 and has covered all things music, stand-up comedy, horror and more. When she’s not out reviewing a concert or interviewing some random famous person, she’s catching up on episodes of “The Walking Dead,” somewhere sampling craft beer, enjoying Taco Tuesday or yelling at the contestants through the TV on “Celebrity Name Game” for not knowing basic pop culture trivia. She’s also a diehard Detroit Lions fan.

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